The present invention relates generally to a laminar panel assembly consisting of an upper and a lower cover layer having a support core structure therebetween, particularly a panel assembly which may be utilized as a panel for a space satellite in contact with solar cells. The invention is particularly directed toward the structure of a force infeed element capable of providing for punctiform load infeed to the panel assembly.
Force infeed elements of the type to which the present invention relates, known for example from German DE-OS No. 23 36 541, are anchored in the interior of a laminar member in order to permit distribution of punctiformly introduced loads with as uniform a distribution as possible without causing enlargement or distortion of the smooth, flat outer contour of the laminar member. Such force infeed elements usually consist of strip shear webs which emanate outwardly from a force infeed point and which are inserted at the time of the manufacture of the laminar member prior to bonding of the cover layers. These elements are located in a recess of the support core and are usually of a light metallic honeycomb construction. The recess corresponds to the contour of the force infeed element and spaces between the webs of the assembly are normally filled with a filling material which may, for example, be hard foam. Additionally, in order to establish reinforcement of the assembly, reinforcement plates or doublers are disposed on the inner side of the cover layers in the region of the webs.
The installation of these known force infeed elements is, however, expensive when compared to the manufacture of the laminar members which tends to be relatively easy, and correct load distribution of the webs along the outer region of the force infeed elements may lead in the inner regions contiguous to the central piece of the element to an excessive web density and hence to accumulation of material and increase of the weight factor.
The present invention is directed toward the task of improving known force infeed elements of this type in such a way that local overdimensioning may be avoided in the structures of these devices and so that a uniform strain-free distribution of punctiformly impinging loads into the laminar structure may be insured while increasing the volumnmetric weight of the laminar member to as little a degree as possible.